Updated 2 weeks ago
To check a DNS change, query the domain on WhatsMyDNS, choose the type of record you modified, and compare the responses with the expected value. If some networks still show the previous value, there may be a cache waiting to update; if the configured destination is incorrect, waiting will not fix it.
The check varies depending on whether you modified the domain's DNS servers, the site's address, the email provider, or a verification record.
A change may appear within minutes or take several hours. In some cases, it may take 48 to 72 hours, or longer; there is no single timeframe, and you do not need to wait that long before starting to check it.
What we call propagation is the updating of DNS responses that different devices and providers store in their caches. That is why your connection may continue using an earlier value while another network is already receiving the new one.
If you changed a record: its previous TTL affects the process, indicating how long a response can be stored in a cache. For example, a TTL of 3600 equals one hour from the time that response was obtained.
If you changed the DNS servers or nameservers: updating the domain's delegation and its caches also plays a role. The TTL of an A record does not control the entire process.
Reducing the TTL after the change does not remove old responses that other servers have already stored. For a future change, it is best to lower it far enough in advance for the previous TTL to expire.
You need to know the exact name you modified and the value it should return. Use the configuration details from your service; do not copy an IP address from another site as a reference.
What you changed | Query type | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
The domain's DNS servers | NS | The server names with the delegation you configured. |
The IP address your site points to | A for IPv4; AAAA for IPv6, if you use it | The address corresponding to the service. |
An alias, such as | CNAME, if that name uses an alias | The alias's destination name. |
The provider that receives your email | MX | The mail servers and their priorities specified by the provider. |
An email verification or authentication record | TXT, or the type requested by the provider | The expected content at the exact name they provided. |
yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.com are different names: check both if you use both addresses. For a verification record, query the full requested name, which may include a prefix such as _dmarc.
If you delegated the domain to our hosting or reseller service, compare the NS records with the list of Duplika DNS. If you keep your DNS with Cloudflare or another provider, the NS records must correspond to that service even if the site is hosted with us.
The tool queries DNS servers in different locations. Its results are useful for comparing responses, but they do not represent all networks or guarantee what your connection returns.
Open WhatsMyDNS.
Enter the domain or subdomain you want to query, without https:// or a path such as /contacto.
Choose the record type from the selector: NS, A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, or TXT, depending on the change.
Click Search.
Compare the values returned by each location with the expected configuration. You can select a location to see the details.
If you changed the nameservers, start with NS and then check the site and email records you need to use. Seeing the new NS records alone does not confirm that the A or MX records in the new zone are configured correctly.
Compare the values, not just the colors or markers on the map. A query may return a valid response that still points to the previous service.
This is consistent with old responses stored in caches. Confirm that the change was saved with the provider that manages the active DNS, and query again later, taking the previous TTL into account.
If the results continue alternating after the expected timeframe, contact us so we can check whether the DNS servers are responding consistently. Not all response differences are caused by propagation.
In addition to a pending cache update, you may have edited a DNS zone that your domain is not using.
Check who manages the active nameservers. If your DNS is with Cloudflare or another external provider, record changes must be made there; editing only the cPanel zone does not change that public configuration.
If what you changed was the delegation, check that the change was confirmed with the registrar. You can review the instructions for your situation:
An empty response or a failed query does not by itself mean that the entire domain is down. First, confirm that you entered the correct name and selected the appropriate type.
For example, not receiving an AAAA record is normal if you have not configured IPv6. If you expect a verification TXT record on a subdomain, searching for the TXT record of the main domain does not check that record.
If the record should exist and still does not appear, check that it was created in the active DNS. If other queries for the domain also fail, contact us with the results.
When Cloudflare's proxy is enabled, public A or AAAA queries return Cloudflare IPs. The hosting server's IP can be checked in the record content in the Cloudflare dashboard.
A CNAME with the proxy enabled may also resolve publicly to Cloudflare IPs. In that case, check A or AAAA as well as reviewing the alias configuration in the dashboard.
You do not need to disable the proxy just to try to make the checker display the hosting IP.
In addition to your connection's DNS cache, a copy of the content may be stored in the browser, application, or a CDN. These are separate caches.
Try from another network, such as mobile data instead of Wi-Fi. A difference between networks helps guide the diagnosis, although it does not by itself identify which cache is involved.
If you use Cloudflare and need to review content changes, see how to use its development mode. If the site still does not open or displays an error, follow the service access checks.
Combine the DNS query with a test of the service you modified: a record responding correctly does not by itself confirm that the site or email is working.
For a website: check that the addresses you use, with or without www, open the expected content.
For email: check the MX records and test sending and receiving with an external account.
For a verification: repeat the validation from the service that requested the record.
If the result points to an incorrect destination, does not return a record that should exist, or the service still does not work, contact support from the account holder's account or an authorized contact's account.
Include the following information so we can review the change:
The exact domain or subdomain and the type of record queried.
The expected value and the value returned by WhatsMyDNS, ideally with a screenshot.
The date and time of the change, including your time zone.
The provider and dashboard where you made the change.
Whether the problem affects the website, email, or both, and which networks you tested it from.
